Dramatic mountain rescue for 15-year-old
A 15-year-old boy who broke his leg in three places atop a snow-covered mountain was rescued by helicopter with night approaching amid freezing conditions on Wednesday.
The boy had been taking part in a Duke of Edinburgh Award exercise on the 500 metre high Trostan Mountain amid the icy conditions and strong winds of late Wednesday afternoon when he suffered the injuries.
He is due to undergo surgery at the Royal Victoria Hospital for two breaks on the tibia in his right leg and another on his fibia.
After police were contacted, 19 members of the North West Mountain Rescue Team (NWMRT) were dispatched. The rescue team drove as close as they could to location and made their way up the rest of the hill on foot, carrying ‘casualty care’ equipment.
Louis Edmondson from NWMRT said: “After a long climb, the casualty was located, and was given immediate first aid, including splinting and padding. As night was approaching, and the conditions, with lying snow and freezing winds would have made a carry-down by stretcher both long and difficult, it was felt that evacuation by helicopter would be the safest, quickest and best method.”
The boy was flown by the PSNI helicopter crew for treatment at Antrim Area Hospital.